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Dental Laboratory Technicians

Construct and repair full or partial dentures or dental appliances.

Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Realistic

Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

Investigative

Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

Conventional

Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.

Social

Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.

Artistic

Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Enterprising

Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed

Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Medical, Dental, and Ophthalmic Laboratory Technicians

Production Occupations

Other Production Occupations

Read prescriptions or specifications and examine models or impressions to determine the design of dental products to be constructed.

Test appliances for conformance to specifications and accuracy of occlusion, using articulators and micrometers.

Fabricate, alter, or repair dental devices, such as dentures, crowns, bridges, inlays, or appliances for straightening teeth.

Place tooth models on an apparatus that mimics bite and movement of patient's jaw to evaluate functionality of model.

Remove excess metal or porcelain and polish surfaces of prostheses or frameworks, using polishing machines.

Train or supervise other dental technicians or dental laboratory bench workers.

Melt metals or mix plaster, porcelain, or acrylic pastes and pour materials into molds or over frameworks to form dental prostheses or apparatuses.

Prepare metal surfaces for bonding with porcelain to create artificial teeth, using small hand tools.

Rebuild or replace linings, wire sections, or missing teeth to repair dentures.

Apply porcelain paste or wax over prosthesis frameworks or setups, using brushes and spatulas.

Dental Laboratory Technicians

Overview

Career

What Dental Laboratory Technicians Do

Other Job Titles Dental Laboratory Technicians May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Dental Laboratory Technicians

Overview

Career

What Dental Laboratory Technicians Do

Other Job Titles Dental Laboratory Technicians May Have

Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

Education

Level of Education Attained by Dental Laboratory Technicians

Majors Related to Career

Related Careers

Related Leaders